A Wonderful Surprise
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: Usually, Guardian jumped for joy at bath time. She loved splashing in the water and getting her master wet. So when she didn't, Sirius had reason to wonder.


**A Wonderful Surprise**

**Family**

**Durbe/OC**

**Usually, Guardian jumped for joy at bath time. She loved splashing in the water and getting her master wet. So when she didn't, Sirius had reason to wonder.**

**(I do NOT own Zexal. I just own my OCs. But I'm not worrying, because you guys love Guardian. You do, don't you?)**

* * *

A Wonderful Surprise

* * *

"Alright, Mach," Durbe said with a grin. "Your wings are all cleaned up."

The Pegasus examined his master's work for a second or two before giving Durbe a nod of approval.

Durbe gave Mach a soft smile. Then he wiped the sweat off his brow as he looked to the sun.

Bath time. Some looked upon those two words with horror, hating the thought of water going down their back. Others enjoy the thought, mainly because they hate being dirty. For the twins, Durbe and Sirius, it was the biggest chore either of them took up.

Cleaning their mounts.

And to think, it was also the one job that neither their mother nor their father had to push onto them for a month before they took to it. They decided it all on their own.

Though, in Sirius' case, it was also the only way he could have kept a certain mount when he first found her.

Speaking of...

"Guardian, what's the matter?"

Durbe turned his head. Young Sirius was standing before his precious wolf; his treasured mount and best friend. His armor had been cast to the side and his pants' legs were rolled to his knees, evidence that he was ready to give Guardian a bath in the shallow river near their home.

However, it didn't seem like Guardian was very eager to jump into the water. In fact, she looked...sleepy. Either that, or she was angry and approaching the point where she was going to snap at her master at any moment.

After a brief moment of thought, Durbe concluded that she was simply sleepy. Guardian rarely ever snapped at Sirius, especially not at bath time. After all, it was her favorite time of the week. Oftentimes, she'd jump into the river before Sirius even got his bracers off.

But not that day, something that brought obvious worry to Sirius.

Tenderly, Sirius began to stroke Guardian's glistening coat of fur. "Is something wrong, Guardian?" he asked. "You can tell me."

Guardian didn't give a verbal answer, as she had so often did before. Instead, she looked over to Sirius and growled. Then, after sufficiently scaring Sirius, she turned back and laid her head on her paws.

"Guardian," Sirius breathed.

"Sirius," Durbe said after a brief silence. "Maybe she's just cranky today. Why don't you leave her be?"

A sigh escaped Sirius as he gave in. "Alright," he said, walking away from Guardian and picking up his armor. "I'll see you later, Guardian."

The wolf gave no response to her master's call.

* * *

"You should really stop worrying, Sirius," Durbe said as they walked back home. "It's possible Guardian is simply going through a rebellious phase."

Sirius huffed. "Durbe-nii," he said, "she went through her rebellious phase when we were twelve. Or have you forgotten the time when she almost killed you?"

"I have not," Durbe said, suppressing a shudder at the memory.

Sirius looked at his feet as they continued on. "On top of that, most phases only last maybe a month or so," he said. "**She's** been like this for two and a half." He looked over to his brother. "Something's up, Durbe-nii. She never acts like this and you know it. Especially not this long."

"I know," Durbe responded, placing his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "But we cannot simply ask her when she refuses to listen."

"Don't remind me," Sirius grumbled. "I know that. But that doesn't mean I have to accept it."

By that time, the boys made it to their house, allowing Sirius the opportunity to have some peace. And he got it...by closing the door behind him, practically locking his brother out for a short while.

During that time, Durbe could only look up to Mach and shrug.

Where on Earth did his brother get so stubborn when it came to that wolf? 'Course, then again, the same could be said for Durbe as well.

* * *

That night, Sirius sat near the window, his eyes looking into the forest where Guardian was still resting. He knew because he'd been watching worryingly all day and Guardian had yet to step out. While for most people, that would be of little surprise, Guardian much preferred to sleep by her master than by the trees.

"Sirius, come away from the window," Durbe said, placing dinner on the table. "There's nothing you can do over there."

"So speaks the guy who did the very same thing when his Pegasus had a broken wing," Sirius responded, refusing to turn to face his brother.

Durbe nearly allowed his head to fall on the heel of his hand. There his brother went again. Using Durbe's experience against him.

If only he could have used that in his studies when they were in the knight academy...

"Come sit down for dinner, Sirius," Durbe said. "You can go see Guardian in the morning."

Sirius paused for a moment, then took his brother's advice and started for the table. "Okay," he relented.

Then he froze.

Thunder flashed outside. At the same, the howl of a wolf reached his ears.

Instantly, Sirius doubled over, his hands clapped over his ears. "Sirius?" Durbe asked uneasily, getting up from his place at the table and making his way to his brother. "What's the matter?"

"Guardian," Sirius whispered.

"Who?" Durbe asked, barely able to hear Sirius' word.

Without even thinking, Sirius pulled away from his brother, grabbed his cloak and hood, and threw it over his shoulders.

"Sirius, where are you going?" Durbe asked, getting away from the table.

"To Guardian!" Sirius responded, reaching for the doorknob and racing out of the house.

"Wait a moment, Sirius!" Durbe snapped, chasing his brother to the door.

Unfortunately, that was the one time that Sirius' asthma decided to take a day off. Sirius was already too far into the forest by the time Durbe reached the door, lightning flashing overhead.

A sigh escaped him before he went back inside, returning with a lantern.

If Sirius hoped to see what was within the confines of the woods, he'd need something to light his path.

* * *

"Sirius!" Durbe called out, the rain falling around him forcing him to raise his voice higher than he was used to. "Where are you? Sirius!"

"Over here, Durbe-nii!" Sirius called back.

Near the river. Why was Durbe not surprised?

He raced over to where Sirius had reported, and was relieved to find his brother sitting beside his wolf and one other. A jet black wolf with a handmade eyepatch on his left eye.

"No way," Sirius breathed, his back facing Durbe as he looked down to something in his lap.

"Sirius?" Durbe asked slowly. "What's the matter?"

Sirius looked back to his brother, the rain getting in his eyes and soaking him to the bone. "Durbe-nii," he said, his voice hardly above a whisper, "come look."

Durbe raised an eyebrow. The expression on his brother's face; it was wonder. Something he hadn't seen on his face since the day Sirius found Guardian caught in a rosebush.

Slowly, he made his way to Sirius' side, his lantern held above his head to allow him to see better.

Then he let out a gasp.

What was in Sirius' lap...was a puppy.

A white wolf pup.

"Is that what I...think it is?" Durbe asked.

Sirius nodded. "That's why Guardian's been acting so cranky lately," he said. He raised his head a little bit and looked over to Guardian.

Resting at her side were two more. One all black and one with black fur and white paws and nose.

Puppies.

_Her _puppies.

Guardian was a mother.

Sirius smiled, as did Durbe.

"Congratulations," Sirius said.

_ "Thank you, Sirius-sama,_" Guardian said tenderly.

The jet black wolf with the eyepatch let out a growl.

That earned a half-hearted chuckle from Sirius. "He still doesn't like me, huh?" he asked.

"_Not in the least._"

"Then I should probably leave you two alone so you can decide on names in peace," Sirius said, placing the white puppy alongside his sisters.

If Guardian had the ability to smile, she most certainly would have done so. "_Thank you very much, Sirius-sama._"

With a nod of his head, Sirius got back up from the now muddy ground. Then he took one look at the white puppy before following Durbe home.

After they left, Guardian looked down to her puppies for a moment longer before giving them all a quick lick.

* * *

(A week later)

"ATCHOO!"

Durbe placed a cold rag on Sirius' feverish head. "This is why you should have waited before racing out to see those puppies," he sighed.

"Sowy," Sirius said nasally. ←[His attempt as 'sorry.']

With another hefty sigh, Durbe pulled himself to his feet. "I'll be right back," he said. "I need to go get your medicine."

"Okey," Sirius sighed.

Durbe then placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Try to get some sleep, alright?" he asked.

"You gob it," Sirius responded, hating his throat and nose at that point.

With that, Durbe left the house, throwing his cape over his shoulders as he did so.

Then Sirius proceeded to fall asleep.

As he did so, however, he received a visitor.

A small puppy.

One with pure white fur.

A yip escaped the puppy as it used the stool to climb onto Sirius' bed. Then it curled up beside the young boy's side and fell sound asleep.

Then Sirius heard something.

Something deep within his heart.

"_Let's be friends...Sirius-kun._"

Even asleep, Sirius revealed a smile.

"Sure, Corvus."

* * *

**D.T.B: What? Did you think that Corvus was just a pretty puppy? **


End file.
